Football-Baseball: Cabico expected back at Mesa

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - Nick Cabico, who played three varsity sports as a

Costa Mesa High freshman last year, before transferring to Mater Dei,

said he plans to return to the Mustangs Jan. 31.

The 5-foot-8, 135-pound sophomore, who started at tailback and outside

linebacker for Mater Dei’s Serra League champion sophomore football team,

said he will finish out the fall semester, which ends Jan. 28, at the

Santa Ana parochial school. He then plans to begin classes at Mesa Jan.

31.

Cabico, believed to be the first Mustang freshman to play varsity

football, basketball and baseball, said the financial commitment required

for his older brother Jason to attend Brown University next fall, made

paying tuition at Mater Dei problematic.

“I’m going to see a lot of my old friends,” said Cabico, who will also

reunite with baseball teammates as the Mustangs’ No. 1 starting pitcher.

A former Little League legend, Cabico opened on the junior varsity last

spring, but emerged as the No. 2 varsity starting pitcher, behind senior

All-CIF standout Ruben Mancilla.

Cabico threw a complete-game seven-hitter in the Mustangs’ 5-1 victory

over Duarte in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division IV

playoffs last season. It was the Mustangs’ first playoff win since 1962.

Cabico, a right-hander, also started the CIF quarterfinal loss to El

Segundo. He finished 3-5 with a 4.93 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 54 varsity

innings.

“We have a No. 1 pitcher, now,” Bauermeister said. “We had a lot of

question marks before. And he can do a lot of things. He’ll probably be

our leadoff hitter.”

Cabico starred on the Mesa freshmen football team and was called up to

the varsity for its CIF Division VI playoff loss to Irvine in ’98. He

carried seven times for 26 yards in his only varsity appearance and was

expected to be a focal point of Coach Jerry Howell’s offense, before

becoming a Monarch.

He stood out on the Monarchs’ 8-1-1 sophomore squad and joined the

varsity for Mater Dei’s four-game run to the CIF Division I crown last

fall. He played in the first-round playoff victory over Redlands.

“He can play running back, wide receiver, even quarterback,” Howell

said. “And, defensively, we’ll look at him at safety and cornerback.

“He’s a kid who can help us on both sides of the ball.”

Cabico scored 39 points in 15 games with Mesa’s varsity basketball team

as a freshman. He did not play basketball at Mater Dei.

He is currently working out with Mater Dei’s junior varsity baseball

team.